This invention relates generally to an improved device, which holds a golf club putter protectively in place within any type of conventional golf bag. More particularly, an invention that stores, aligns, segregates and protects a putter within a golf bag and mounts a stuffed toy or a plain version thereof, on a rigid elongated tube as the principal means to protect the putter head from damage.
A class of devices exists for storage and protection of golf clubs. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,624 issued to H. Sung, which shows a golf club protector, adapted to be permanently retained in a conventional golf bag. The protector comprises a rigid elongated tube mountable in a golf bag and a flexible fabric cover attached to the upper end of the tube for encircling the head of the club. Sung improved upon his original protector in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,320 whereby the principal feature was the addition of a flanged panel adapted to underlay the toe area of the head of an inverted golf club and a flanged hood adapted to overlay the sole area of the club.
These concepts are used extensively for golf club woods and have been applied to the putter as well. Typically, nylon fabric is covered in a high pile acrylic fur to form a protective hood and often a sock extends downward to partially protect the shaft. Many such hoods take the form of an animal. These animal representations upon a golf club device have been proven to be a highly desirable feature. These hoods, socks or padded head covers provide excellent protection but have no other practical function and are easily misplaced or lost. Examples are D 446,564 and D 444,525.
My issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,437 shows a universal golf bag putter holder that, when attached to the upper lip of a golf bag, will enable storage, alignment, segregation and protection for the shaft and the putter""s club head. These features are accomplished by utilizing a tube, clip and padding material, that creates a resting place for the putter head in lieu of a hood type arrangement. The tube is open at both ends to allow a putter shaft to descend and reside therein with the tubes upper opening containing a singular notch to lock in a putter head. The tube""s top end being horizontal and the padding being of foam rubber covered with a mid-pile fuzzy nylon material in an upward angled position. A slot is created in the padding material to form a resting place for the putter head and the clip is positioned on the tube starting at its top and is adhesively attached to the tube.
Heretofore, no protective putter device existed that could reasonably take the form of a six to nine inch length stuffed toy animal or cartoon character as well as have other practical storage applications. The problem encountered is most stuffed toys are not meant to be elevated or suspended. They are designed to lay, stand, or sit on a flat surface and tend to deform, droop or look unnatural when mounted or attached to a putter storage device, particularly those that are filled primarily with plastic pellets. This problem has been overcome in the present invention.
The present invention relates to a putter holding device of the type disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,437. A putter holder is revealed that utilizes a stuffed toy as the principal means to protect a putter head from damage. The tube, clip and padded material concepts are retained, however, multiple design changes have been made to improve upon the previous inventions holding ability and other changes that enable the mounting of stuffed toys with little or no deformation and a realistic look. A novel piece of cloth has been conceived that when added to a doll, allows a doll to be mounted on a uniquely shaped tube top aperture. The tube""s clip has been redesigned and relocated at a lower position to act as a stop, thus eliminating the need for a screw and the addition of multiple new types of cushioning materials utilized. In the present invention the tube and clip are preferably made by injection molding process. An additional notch in the tube is incorporated and the tubes upper opening is made on an angle rather than horizontally. Outer covering materials commonly found in the stuffed toy industry have now been employed. The circular cutout made a complete rather than a partial material cutout. The material slot has been eliminated. and replaced by an indentation in the material that resists putter head movement. Other design changes have been made which will become evident upon review of the detailed description. The objective is to allow the placement of plush stuffed animal type dolls, bean bag toys, and cartoon type dolls upon a putter holding device for the purpose of greatly enhancing a holders desirability and at the same time use the body, head, legs, arms, wings and other body parts as a separator from other stored golf clubs.
An animal representation made slightly elevated and supported in a tilted position upon a golf bag, as is the case in the present invention, enables the presentation of an entire body and complete exposure of the face. This gives a much more natural look, as well as the ability to mount thousands of differing doll configurations regardless of their original position intent, including the classic six-inch beanbag dolls, which are highly prized in our society and have, indeed, become collectibles.
A further objective is to use existing doll fabric patterns, by adding an opening through the main body panel parts, which does not cause a major pattern change or the need for a new doll design configuration to accommodate the holder. It is also an objective to leave unchanged any doll manufacturers basic doll interior stuffing preferences to make the invention herein described applicable to the universe of stuffed dolls that are of a practical size for use upon a golf bag. A plain and unattractive version is described as well, which incorporates the improvements over my prior invention. While this plain version is not as effective as a doll in protecting the putter, a compromise is made to appeal to those golfers who are conservative in nature and would be opposed to placing a doll on their golf bags.